98 GAME PEESERVERS AND BIRD PRESERVERS. 



birds tlie least amount of harm ; and no doubt 

 the one tiling to do is to allow a certain number 

 of rabbits to breed in his neighbourhood. In 

 fact, it is only as food for foxes that we would 

 tolerate these creatiu'es in cultivated districts. 

 He will eat these and hares, rats, mice, and 

 frogs, and what few birds he can catch. He 

 will also take from their nests some hen phea- 

 sants and partridges ; but we would not give 

 him much opportunity of doing this, as we 

 would take all of their nests that we could find 

 ourselves, and rear their young in a place of 

 safety. His attacks upon our poultry can always 

 be prevented by wire netting, and the mesh can 

 be so large that it is cheap even when six feet 

 his^h. It is well worth while for hunt clubs to 

 be at the expense of supplying this wire where 

 they know that poultry yards are particularly 

 exposed to the attacks of foxes, and so render 

 the farmers' wives their friends instead of their 

 enemies. We know some beautiful pieces of 

 water, too, on which various sorts of wild fowl 



